


Oh, To Be So Blissfully Ignorant

by prettysetters



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Akaashi has some serious issues, Akaashi is jealous, Alternate Universe - Boy Band, Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bokuto is a ball of sunshine, Fluff, M/M, Mental Health Issues, New York City, Past Abuse, Personal Growth, Slow Burn, Social Anxiety, romcom, you will be hurt and confused but it will get better
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:08:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27125659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prettysetters/pseuds/prettysetters
Summary: It’s quite funny, actually. How little people pay attention to the world around them when they’re so wrapped up in their own insignificant lives. Not to say that the lives of other people weren’t important. In the grand scheme of things, however, people found a way to trick themselves into feeling like the world revolved around them. In a world full of billions of people, how could you be so wrapped up in your own self as to ignore the chaos around you?For Akaashi, ignoring the chaos was never easy....A college/band AU set in New York City where Akaashi is a socially anxious mess of a Barista and Bokuto is the lead singer in an up-and-coming indie band (ft. Kuroo, Iwaizumi, Yamaguchi and Tsukishima as his bandmates).*WARNING: Akaashi is struggling with his anxiety (but he's good at hiding it), and some of his coping mechanisms are extremely unhealthy and borderline stalkerish. If that kind of behavior makes you uncomfortable, I do not recommend reading!Also yes you are going to be confused and hurt by Akaashi's character at the beginning but I PROMISE its worth the read (character development people!!)
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Hinata Shouyou & Miya Atsumu, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 29
Kudos: 73





	1. 1. I'd Hardly Consider Us Strangers

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for joining me on the crazy journey that is writing this story. I've already had the entire plot laid out in my head for a while now, so I promise everything I write has a purpose for the story (so try not to be too upset by the characters at first, they have a lot to learn!) 
> 
> I hope to update at least every week (maybe sooner if I feel particularly motivated), and plan to have around 8-10 chapters by the end of all of this!
> 
> I included this in the summary, but again a ***WARNING*** that anyone who is not comfortable with mentions of stalker-like behavior should not read this!
> 
> For everyone else, I promise the pain will only get better! (and that there's lots of fluff in between to make up for it!)

* * *

_It’s quite funny, actually. How little people pay attention to the world around them when they’re so wrapped up in their own insignificant lives. Not to say that the lives of other people weren’t important. In the grand scheme of things, however, people found a way to trick themselves into feeling like the world revolves around them. In a world full of billions of people, how could you be so wrapped up in your own self as to ignore the chaos around you?_

_For Akaashi, ignoring the chaos was never easy._

_..._

Akaashi mused to himself as he approached the front door of the cafe. He delicately turned the latch of the lock while using his other hand to remove the “ _Sorry, We’re Closed_ ” sign from the entrance window. He let his eyes wander to the street outside.

The cafe in which he worked and spent most of his time was positioned on the corner of one of the busiest streets in Greenwich Village, it’s large panel windows providing a great view of the commotion outside. Even at 6 AM, the sidewalks and roads were already bustling with action as millions of people began to wake up and start their day. 

That’s Manhattan for you, and Akaashi loved it despite his social anxiety. The idea that so many people could be concentrated in such a small geographic area, each with their own individual life story intertwining with that of the strangers they passed every day.

Yet, it shocked him to know just how many people paid no regard to the person next to them on the subway, or sitting next to them in a cafe; or serving them coffee every morning. Of course, Akaashi didn’t particularly care for the lives of people he observed but rather couldn’t help but take interest in discovering from afar the small details about them that most would overlook. 

A few hours had passed as Akaashi dipped between steaming milk, overhearing the details of a woman’s messy divorce, brewing coffee, and catching a businessman before he left the shop without his briefcase in hand. Akaashi couldn’t help but be amazed at how predictable people could be at times.

He could spot the wannabe social media influencer sitting in the window seat; who he noted had yet to take a sip of her skinny vanilla latte because she was too busy posting about it. Or the college student who was frantically copying their friend’s assignment onto their own paper that was no doubt due within the next hour. There wasn’t much that caught Akaashi off guard. His quiet demeanor allowed him to blend into his surroundings, enjoying his people-watching in peace. 

“You know, you really shouldn’t stare. People might find it a little creepy.”

Although he was a man of grace, Akaashi almost spilled the entire pot of coffee he was pouring. He had to admit he spent a little too long staring at the girl who he suspected only ordered her iced coffee black because her seemingly cooler and skinnier friend had done the same. His affirmation came shortly after as she winced at the bitter taste of her first sip. Akaashi turned to face the unknown speaker who had miraculously caught him by surprise.

“I’m only kidding, you don’t have to look so ashamed,” the man softly laughed. 

Akaashi recognized him from the many visits he had made to the cafe before, but something was different this time. He was still dressed a little too warmly for the early September weather. Still sported one earphone as he split his mind between whatever indie music Akaashi suspected the man was listening to and reality, and he still clutched tightly to his reusable travel mug he insisted on bringing every time he came into the store.

But no, what was different was the fact that he had finally taken notice of Akaashi. Even if it was after months of Akaashi taking every opportunity to drink in the small details of this man’s life for the few minutes he frequently spent in the shop. 

And before Akaashi had time to think of something witty to reply, the man was already grabbing his coffee from the bar, working his way through the shop to the door. As he swung it open into the street, he turned to meet Akaashi’s stare, giving him a little nod and a wave before disappearing into the crowd. 

Just like that, the man was gone. 

…

Days at the cafe went by as they usually did for Akaashi. It had been a whole week since his run-in with the man who had managed to catch him in the act of his people-watching.

Akaashi pushed away his feeling of disappointment as he hung up his work apron in the back of the store, wondering if he should offer to stay longer with the possibility of seeing the interesting customer again. But nevertheless, Akaashi was tired. There was always tomorrow, or the next day, or maybe never; New York is a big city after all, and Akaashi didn’t consider himself to be that special. 

It was drizzling cold rain on his walk home, and though Akaashi enjoyed observing the rain from inside, he wasn’t particularly fond of walking in it.

A few blocks from home, the wind picked up and the rain started to come down harder, soaking his messy mop of black hair and running down his face. Spotting a store up ahead, Akaashi made a dash for the entrance.

He wasn’t in any particular hurry to get home, so camping out and looking around while the rain died down was sounding like a pretty good alternative to the downpour outside. 

A little bell rang as the door swung open, and Akaashi slipped inside the warm - and more importantly, dry - store. He spent a moment in the entrance righting his dampened appearance, taking the time to look around. Akaashi had passed the store many times on his way to and from work but had never made the time to come in and look around.

It was a small space - as most places in New York were - with shelves of vinyl records and CDs lining the walls. There were rows of lower racks that filled the middle of the space, and somewhere, a distant record player was putting out a tune Akaashi vaguely recognized.

A few people milled about the isles, but Akaashi was too tired from his day at work and too chilled from the rain to take any real interest in them. 

To his right was a rack labeled ‘Local Artists’ in messy, all-capital handwriting. Akaashi scanned the records before coming across one he recognized. It was a band he had just recently discovered on his suggested playlist. Beyond a few songs, he didn’t know much about them. Akaashi picked up the record to inspect the back when a warm voice appeared at his side.

“Have you heard their new single? It’s personally one of my favourites.”

Akaashi froze, recognizing the strong, charismatic voice he hadn’t realized he’d missed until now. Standing beside him in the tiny record shop was the man from the cafe, who had yet again managed to catch the ever-observant Akaashi off of his game. 

“I uh- no, I haven’t actually,” Akaashi managed to stutter out. He realized these were the first words he had ever actually spoken to the man, and kicked himself for sounding so stupid.

“I just started listening to them recently, so I don’t know many songs, but I really like the ones I’ve heard so far,” he rambled, again thinking the man probably thought he sounded crazy. 

It was also at this point that Akaashi’s subconscious had finished scanning the man in front of him, the result of which surprised him yet again. “Wait,” Akaashi raised an eyebrow, “you work here?” 

The man gave a little chuckle before meeting Akaashi’s gaze. 

“Technically, yes, I am working,” he winked, “but that’s not the reason I came over here. I recognized you from the cafe the other day, so I thought I would come over to apologize for startling you.” The man beamed over at Akaashi, his warmth spreading through the space between them, lessening the cold dampness that surrounded Akaashi. 

“And thank you, by the way,” he added, leaving Akaashi puzzled by the man’s unexplained gratitude.

“I beg your pardon?” Akaashi questioned politely, “thank me for what?”

The man laughed to himself once again, and Akaashi found his mind searching for whatever joke he had yet to be let in on. The uncertainty made Akaashi self-conscious, and he began pulling at the hem of his drenched jacket.

Akaashi didn’t like the feeling of uncertainty, especially when it came to other people. The gesture went unnoticed by Akaashi’s company as the man reached for the record still clutched in Akaashi’s other hand.

“Well usually, - and I could be wrong on this one, but I’m pretty sure - it’s only polite to thank someone when they compliment your work.” The man flipped over the record, running his fingers over the album cover in a gesture of adoration.

Anyone could see the glimmer of passion behind the man’s warm eyes as he drank in the sight of the seemingly mundane record in front of him. Thankful for the return of his senses, Akaashi quickly put together two and two.

“Wait a minute… This is you?” Akaashi said, sounding taken aback.

It would seem to others that he was surprised by this, but what surprised Akaashi was the fact that he hadn’t figured that out on his own sooner. It was like Akaashi’s constant train of never-ending deductions would suddenly stop whenever the man was around, and as much as that should have bothered Akaashi, he liked the quiet. 

“Strictly speaking it's not _just_ me, but yes.” The man seemed a little embarrassed by the way that he averted his gaze from Akaashi, like he didn’t want to sound arrogant.

“My friends and I started a band back in first year. It was all for fun at first, and we played at a few small places. Then one day at a gig my friend ran into an old pal of his who said he would be our manager. Since then, things have only grown. We’re playing in the park this weekend at a festival, you should come watch!” The way his eyes shone when he talked, Akaashi could tell his passion for music was something really special. 

Akaashi hesitated. Social gatherings - as much as they were interesting - were overwhelming for him. His anxiety was always something Akaashi struggled with, and the coping mechanisms he had discovered for himself over the years were draining at best. 

“I’d really like that actually. Although I have to ask, do you always invite strangers to come watch you perform?” Akaashi teased to cover his moment of uncertainty. He was glad that his joke had been well-received by the smile that formed on the man’s face. 

“Well, in the world that is Manhattan, I’d hardly consider us strangers,” the man replied thoughtfully, before adding, “but to answer your question; only the pretty ones.” 

Akaashi was doing everything in his power to keep the flush of his cheeks at bay, but from the look of satisfaction on the man’s face, he could tell it was a failed attempt. He couldn’t help but be intrigued by the first part of the man’s answer either. Akaashi didn’t take him to be someone who thought about the world beyond his circle of existence. 

“I’m Bokuto by the way,” the man added, seemingly trying to save Akaashi from a bit of the embarrassment. 

“Akaashi,” was all he could reply in return, realizing how long he had remained silent after the man’s compliment. He was used to being hit on at the cafe and such. Akaashi recognized he was attractive by most standards, but something about Bokuto’s charisma and straightforwardness made Akaashi completely flustered. 

“Well, Akaashi,” Bokuto charged on, not skipping a beat at the other man’s short reply, “here’s my number.” He scribbled it in black marker on the back of the vinyl cover in the same handwriting as the sign on the rack.

“If you decide you want to come to the show, text me and I’ll give you the details.” Bokuto passed the vinyl to Akaashi, turning back to the rest of the store with confidence. As an afterthought, he added, “and if you decide you don’t want to come to the show, text me anyway.” 

Akaashi was left confused, not sure what to feel as he smiled down at the number. The thought of ever doing something so bold made him chuckle to himself. 

“Wait, don’t I have to pay for this first?” Akaashi called out, the other man already a few steps away.

“I want you to have it, let me know what you think.” Bokuto smiled, giving a characteristic wink that didn’t surprise Akaashi in the slightest before he was gone. Back to his job, back to his life, which by some miraculous fate was now undeniably intertwined with Akaashi’s.

Akaashi turned to the door, ready to face the brutal weather, only to discover it had stopped raining altogether.

With a smile on his face, he stepped out into the street, silently wishing the cold rain was still there to cool down the warmth that had been no doubt burning on his cheeks for many minutes now. 

…

Akaashi had been laying on his back with his eyes closed, arms spread out while he listened to his new gift on the record player when his phone started to ring.

Akaashi turned on his side to inspect the caller ID, which only confirmed who he knew was calling. 

“Hey,” he said, clearing his throat from the groggy sound of not speaking for a while, ”what’s up?”

“Sorry, did I wake you sleeping beauty?” the voice on the other end laughed lightheartedly.

Akaashi knew judging by the time the clock told him and the sound of food sizzling in a pan on the other end that his friend was making dinner, the phone he was talking into most likely pressed between his face and shoulder.

“Not exactly, no,” Akaashi replied, getting up and stretching out his back, “I was just sort of lying around.”

“Lying around? I know you and I know that you don’t just lay around. Who are you and what have you done with Keiji?” the mock tone of disbelief clear through the receiver.

Akaashi could admit he had a point. Akaashi wasn’t really one to just sit around. He was always working or doing something to keep his ever-racing mind occupied. 

“Yeah, Yeah Suga, I get it. _I need to relax more_ ,” Akaashi mocked back.

His best friend had always been the meddling type, and since Akaashi moved into his own apartment, Suga had made it his duty to check in on Akaashi to make sure he was still alive on a nightly basis. 

“ _Anywayssss,”_ Suga drawled on, “other than to reem you out for being a workaholic, I called to see what you’re doing this weekend. I know it’s not really your thing, but I suggested to Daichi earlier that we should all go to a bar or something. You really need to get out of the house more and try to have some fun! Who knows, maybe you’ll meet someone nice and hit-”

“I appreciate your interest in my non-existent love life - thank you for bringing that up - but I have plans this weekend.” Akaashi interrupted, really not wanting to hear where his friend was going with the idea.

Akaashi hated drinking, the feeling of intoxication muddled his social awareness far too much for his liking and put his anxiety through the roof.

“Plans with who?” Suga questioned, doing his best to sound hurt by the fact that his master plan to get Akaashi laid was being turned down.

“Um…” Akaashi didn’t want to lie, but he wasn’t really sure how to explain the situation, “a friend.”

“Keiji. You know that excuse only works when you have more than one friend, right?” Suga was being persistent, and Akaashi knew from the tone in his voice that he was not going to relent any time soon.

“It’s just a guy from this band I met in this record shop. He saw I liked his music and he invited me to go watch. It’s really not that important. I don’t have to go,” Akaashi replied, sadness taking over his thoughts as he realized his heart probably read into Bokuto’s invitation a little too much.

Bokuto was just being friendly. That surely fit his nature.

“Nice try,” Suga laughed, “but now that I know there’s a potentially cute guy involved, you’re going. Daichi and I can come with you for moral support if you want?” The words sounded more like a statement than a question, but Akaashi did his best attempt to change his friend’s mind.

As much as Suga’s company would calm his nerves, he tended to be a little _too_ encouraging at times.

“You really don’t have to come, Suga. I’m a grown man.” The words came off a little harsher than Akaashi had meant them to, but Suga shook them off.

“If I’m not there to hold your hand, who’s gonna drag you in when you get there and decide to chicken out?” Suga joked.

His friend was well aware of Akaashi’s sensitivity when it came to large crowds, “Plus as your best friend I’m gonna have to meet him eventually.”

“Fine,” Akaashi gave in, “but I swear if you tell one embarrassing story, I’m charging you full price for your lattes from now on.”

“Deal,” Suga agreed, knowing that was probably the best offer he was going to get. “So, this mystery boy, does he have a name?”

“Bokuto,” Akaashi answered, a smile crawling across his lips as he said the name for the first time out loud. 

“And is _Mr. Bokuto_ insanely handsome? How did you meet? Is he in school? Does he live by himself?” Suga pressed for details.

Akaashi could feel his eyes rolling into the back of his head at his best friend’s response. Not that he didn’t see it coming; quite frankly he had expected a more thorough interrogation.

“I just met him, Suga. I don't know that much about him yet.” 

“You said yet,” Suga didn’t fail to point out, “and you conveniently left out the answer to the handsome part.”

“Goodnight, Suga,” Akaashi laughed, sitting himself down at his desk chair, “I’ll text you the details.”

“You’re no fun,'' Suga pouted, then added reluctantly, “goodnight Keiji.”

With that Akaashi hung up. 

He turned his chair back around to face the lit up monitors on his desk. There were three altogether, not including the laptop sitting open on the kitchen island a few feet away.

Across the computer screens were pages upon pages of research; maps with pinpointed locations, social media profiles, background checks. What Akaashi told Suga about not knowing Bokuto very well wasn’t a complete lie. Technically, Bokuto hadn’t told Akaashi his favourite place to eat was this quaint Italian place in Little Italy. Or that he was in his last year of the International Relations Masters Program at NYU. Or that he in fact had no criminal record and his blood type was AB positive.

Of course, this was all common knowledge for anyone who looked hard enough.

 _Well, maybe not the last one_ , Akaashi thought to himself, but it was important information to know. 

Akaashi stood from his desk chair and walked across his small bachelor apartment to where his record player sat by the window. Picking up the sleeve of the vinyl that now rested still on the turntable, Akaashi typed the number scribbled on the back into his contacts. Clicking the messages icon, Akaashi typed:

**A: Hey stranger! So about that festival this weekend...**

Akaashi knew that would be enough for Bokuto. Reading it over once more, he hit the send button. 

Akaashi dropped the needle back on the record and flopped onto his bed, letting his whole body relax.

Now if only he could stop the race of never-ending thoughts about the man who had so unexpectedly entered Akaashi’s world; then maybe he would be at peace. 


	2. For Good Luck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akaashi and friends finally get to meet the band! 
> 
> Everyone in the story is finally introduced. Sorry if some characters get skimmed over quickly, I promise to elaborate more on them in future chapters. 
> 
> this chapter gets super fluffy and Akaashi finally starts to come out of his shell!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING:
> 
> I also just was to reiterate that in no way am I trying to romanticize Akaashi's behavior with the way he copes with his Anxiety. his coping mechanisms are by no means healthy, and I promise he will get better at dealing with his anxiety as the story goes on... it's gotta get worse before it gets better!
> 
> Also thank you for all of the love and support on my later chapter! I hope you enjoy this one and the many more to come!
> 
> -Shay (Pretty Setters)

It was the morning of the festival and as much as he would have liked to have the day off to mentally prepare, Akaashi was stuck working the afternoon shift at the cafe. 

He had texted Bokuto the night before to verify none of the plans had changed and relayed the information to Suga. He was going to meet up with Suga and Daichi after he got off of work, and they would all head to the park together. 

It was towards the end of his shift that Akaashi started to daydream. This was a rare occurrence for him considering he was normally hyper-aware of his surroundings, but Akaashi couldn’t help but think about the night he had ahead of him.

One could imagine his surprise when he looked up at his next customer only to be met face to face with none other than Bokuto himself.

“Hey, Hey, Hey Akaashi!” he smiled. “I was hoping to catch you here before your shift was over”

“Hi, Bokuto,” Akaashi replied, surprised once again. “I didn’t expect to see you here today.”

Akaashi was inwardly fighting for his face to stay a normal shade of warmth in his current company.

“Well, it’s a big day so I figured I could use a little pick me up,” he said, “and I’m not referring to the coffee.”

And there it was. Bright red, Akaashi couldn’t help but laugh at the unwavering charm Bokuto never failed to display. 

“You could say I’m also looking forward to tonight. It was a nice surprise getting to see you before the show.”

“About that. The reason I was hoping to catch you here was so I could tell you in person. The festival has a tent set up backstage for each of the bands performing, and so my friends and I will be back there when we aren’t on stage. I was wondering if you would maybe want to hang around there before the show and meet everyone?” Bokuto asked. 

Akaashi took slight comfort in the hint of nervousness that cracked through Bokuto’s bold facade.

“I’d love to meet them. If they’re your friends, I’m sure they’re lovely people.”

“I should warn you that Oikawa can be a little bit much at times, and Tsukki is always sour so try not to take it too personally, but yeah, they’re pretty great.”

Akaashi could tell from the fondness in Bokuto’s voice that his friends were important to him. Only more reason to need to make a good first impression.

“Anyway,” Bokuto charged on, “text me when you guys get there and I’ll send someone out to meet you.”

“Will do,” Akaashi replied with a smile, “oh, and your coffee is ready down on the bar over there,” pointing to Bokuto’s reusable travel mug Akaashi had smuggled out of his hand in the midst of their conversion. 

“And it’s on the house this time,” he added, “as a thank you for the record, and the pick me up.”

“Wow, who knew you could be so smooth, Akaashi? How’d you know what I was gonna order?” Bokuto asked, his turn to be surprised.

“I’ll see you later, Bokuto,” was all he replied. 

“Later, Akaashi!” Bokuto called as he walked away, a little smirk on his face. 

As soon as Bokuto was out of sight, Akaashi laughed at himself. 

_ ‘Where on Earth did that come from?’ _ He thought.

…

**Akaashi** : Hey, I just got off work. Slight change of plans… I saw Bokuto and he invited us to meet his friends before the performance. Are we still good to meet at your place at 5 and walk over?

**Suga** : Sounds good. Make sure you wear something nice!

**Akaashi** : As if I wasn’t already worried about it

**Suga** : See you soon!

Akaashi slipped his phone back into his jacket pocket. The weather was pleasant as far as fall went, and Akaashi was doing his best to mentally picture his wardrobe to decide on what to wear.

Obviously, he wanted to look nice (but not too nice), casual and effortless (but also put together). It was a hard look to master.

Once home, he quickly showered off the aroma of stale coffee and hopelessly turned over his closet twice-fold before settling on a pair of black trousers and a grey turtleneck. On his way out the door, he swapped his leather jacket from earlier in favor of his black trench coat. His hope had been to seem more friendly and less badass, but unfortunately, dark clothes and a black trench coat were about as friendly as Akaashi could muster. 

The walk to his friend's apartment wasn’t a far one, but with every step, Akaashi could feel a growing fit of nervousness in his stomach. Something about seeing Bokuto in a setting that hadn’t been completely accidental made the anticipation of the situation ten times worse. 

Akaashi knocked on the door of the red brick walk-up and shifted his weight from foot to foot to try and release some of his nervous energy. 

Daichi answered the door with a smile and welcomed Akaashi inside.

“Hey, Akaashi,” Daichi greeted, “I haven’t seen you in a while with all those shifts you’ve been working. I’m glad Suga could finally pull you out of your shell for the night!”

As well-intended as his words were, Daichi’s comment did nothing for the pit in Akaashi’s stomach.

“Yeah, it's nice to get out I guess.”

Even though they shared an apartment for two years, Akaashi had never been quite as close to Daichi as he was Suga. They were both respectful people, and for the most part, tended to stay out of each other’s way.

Suga, on the other hand, was the glue of the group; which he made completely clear with his grand entrance into the front foyer, giving Akaashi a big hug. 

“Ready to rock and roll?” Daichi asked Suga. 

Leave it to Daichi to say something so corny, but it made Suga smile nevertheless so Akaashi didn’t think twice.

“I think you’re asking the wrong person…” Suga trailed, eyeing Akaashi as he picked at the imaginary lint on the front of his jacket.

“Is it that obvious?” Akaashi asked, his head bowed in shame.

“You’ll be  _ fine,”  _ Suga emphasized, grabbing his coat from the rack in the corner, “shall we?”

Together, the three of them walked out into the street and set off down the sidewalk in the direction of the park. 

As they were walking, Akaashi was grateful for the small conversations that distracted him from his growing anxiety. 

He couldn’t help but notice how naturally Suga reached down and interlocked his hand in Daichi’s. It never failed to amaze him how comfortable their relationship was, wishing he could be a little more like that himself. 

Akaashi felt his stomach drop as they rounded the corner to the park. The normally nearly vacant lot of grass was packed with groups of people as far as he could see. He hadn’t realized how many people the festival would attract, a detail he clearly overlooked in the excitement of getting to see Bokuto again.

Suddenly, Akaashi felt a warm hand squeeze his limp cold one, looking over to see Suga giving him a reassuring smile. 

Akaashi nodded and pulled out his phone to text Bokuto.

**Akaashi** : Hey! We just got here. We’re waiting at the North-East corner of the park.

**Bokuto** : Great! I’ll send Oikawa to come find you guys. He’s tall, brown hair, and exudes arrogance so you shouldn’t be able to miss him ;)

Akaashi smirked at the little winky face Bokuto sent and told his friends the description Bokuto gave him of Oikawa. 

Of course, from Oikawa’s tendency to overshare on social media, Akaashi already knew all of the information Bokuto had given him - arrogance included.

After a minute or so of everyone keeping an eye out, the man Akaashi recognized as Oikawa came sauntering up to the group with a charming smile. 

“You must be Bokuto’s  _ special guest _ ,” Oikawa said, looking Akaashi up and down, “when he said you could give me a run for my money on being the prettiest one of the group, I didn’t think he was actually serious.” He winked which only made Akaashi even more self-conscious of his appearance. 

Suga could sense Akaashi’s tenseness, and interrupted before Oikawa could pursue Akaashi any more. 

“You must be Oikawa,” he smiled, extending his arm out to shake hands, “this is Daichi,” he said, motioning to Daichi at his side, “and I’m Sugawara, but most people just call me Suga.”

“Well, Suga, it's a pleasure.” Akaashi could tell Oikawa and Suga were the same breed of person and was thankful to have his friend there to make things a little less awkward. 

“Shall we?” Oikawa said, gesturing towards the backside of the stage where numerous tents were set up for the performers, “if we take much longer, Bokuto will be worried that I’ve tormented you with my charm.” 

The group laughed at Oikawa’s shocking amount of self-awareness and followed the extravagant man as he worked his way through the crowds of people. 

“This is us,” Oikawa said, drawing back the tent curtain and motioning for the men to head inside.

Akaashi paused at the door for only a moment before realizing it was far too late to back out now. With a deep breath, he stepped into the illuminated tent. 

Inside the tent, the air was warm compared to the slight chill of the fall weather outside. It was rather large as far as tents go, but the sheer number of people inside made the space feel much smaller. There were drinks and snacks lining a small table along the one side, and various instruments strewn about between people. 

At first glance, Akaashi was put at ease to realize he recognized the people around him. He was glad his extensive research had gone to good use. 

Akaashi heard Bokuto before he saw him. He had a very distinct laugh that would radiate through the space around him. Akaashi had to stop himself from feeling jealous of whoever could make Bokuto laugh like that. He wanted it to be him.

Oikawa, dramatic as ever, loudly cleared his throat to attract the attention of everyone in the tent. All eyes landed on the newcomers, making Akaashi feel like he was being inspected under some sort of social microscope. 

The feeling didn’t last long as Bokuto shifted through everyone to greet the group.

“Akaashi! I’m so glad you’re here!” Bokuto exclaimed, “I hope Oikawa didn’t give you too much of a hard time.”

“I told you so,” Oikawa muttered under his breath over the shoulders of Suga and Akaashi, making them smirk.

“Thanks for inviting us. We can’t wait to see you perform,” Akaashi said, grateful that everyone had resumed their conversations from before and that all eyes were no longer on him and his friends. 

“These are my friends, Sugawara and Daichi,” Akaashi introduced, his friends giving little waves.

“Thank you for letting us tag along with Akaashi here, you can call me Suga,” he smiled, making a good first impression as always.

“It’s no problem at all, any friend of Akaashi’s is a friend of mine,” Bokuto said with a wink, “speaking of friends, I’ll introduce you to everyone!”

To Akaashi’s surprise, Bokuto reached down and grabbed his hand to follow him. Bokuto’s back to the group, Akaashi could see Suga giving him a look that said ‘ _ you didn’t tell me he was this cute?!’ _

Akaashi rolled his eyes back at his friend and followed Bokuto for the tour. 

“You’ve already met Oikawa, our social butterfly,” Oikawa smiled widely as if he was being praised, “but this is the band's Bassist, Iwaizumi.”

“Hi,” Iwaizumi said, then directed at Akaashi, ”it’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

“That’s all you’ve got Iwa-chan?  _ Hi? _ ”

“Oh shut up,” Iwaizumi spit back with what Akaashi recognized as a teasing tone, “did you want me to kiss the ground beneath their feet or something your highness?” 

“Now, now you guys,” Bokuto interjected before things get too out of hand, “Iwaizumi and I met at the gym around the time we were first getting the band together, so the timing couldn’t have been more perfect.”

“Yeah, but if Iwa-chan doesn’t stop slacking off at work, Bokuto might take over as the strongest member of the band,” Oikawa teased. 

Before Iwaizumi has a chance to make a witty comeback, Bokuto added, “And, we’ll be moving on with the tour!”

He once again reached for Akaashi’s hand and playfully joked over his shoulder, “sorry about that, maybe I should have started with an easier crowd.”

“I actually found that quite amusing,” Daichi said, “they make an interesting pair.”

“Right you are,” Bokuto chuckled, leading them towards the snack table.

“Hey, guys! This is Akaashi, Suga, and Daichi,” Bokuto says, pointing to each of the men as he said their name. 

The freckled, green-haired man gives each of them a small smile and wave, while his tall, blond, bespeckled counterpart made no change to his unamused expression. Akaashi recalled that they made an interesting duo, but seeing such a juxtaposition in person was quite amusing. 

“This is Tsukki-” 

“Tsukishima,” the tall man interjected.

“Sorry,  _ Tsukishima _ . We work together at the record shop and he’s the band’s Drummer.”

Tsukishima made a slight nod of his head to acknowledge his introduction before he returned to silently judging the group before him. 

It made Akaashi feel slightly at ease that he wasn’t the only observant one in the room, but the thought of someone staring at him so blatantly made him more than self-conscious.

“I’m Yamaguchi,” the freckled one charged on, “I’m the band’s Pianist and I occasionally sing backup vocals for Bokuto.”

Akaashi took a liking to the dark green-haired man. He could tell his outward effort to be friendly was just to mask his own insecurities, which were apparent by the way he was pulling at his shirt sleeve and avoiding direct eye contact for too long. He was making an effort, which Akaashi of all people could appreciate. 

“If it weren’t for Tsukki, we never would have found our shining star,” Bokuto chimed in while Tsukishima rolled his eyes at the nickname, “Yamaguchi brought our sound to a whole new level.”

“Well, I wouldn't go as far as to say that.” It was clear from the blush that was growing on his cheeks that Yamaguchi was not used to being complimented so forwardly.

“Don’t sell yourself short, kid,” Bokuto smiled, “shall we continue?” he asked the group. 

After waving goodbye to Yamaguchi and Tsukishima barely acknowledging their existence, the group made their way to the final cluster of people they had yet to meet. 

“And finally, guys, this is Akaashi, Suga, and Daichi.” As if on cue, the group each gave a smile and wave.

“I’m Kuroo, the brains of the operation and the Guitarist for the band.”

Kuroo was charming and had a strong voice, but his smile was much kinder than one would expect. 

“I’m pretty sure Kenma is actually the brains of the operation,” Bokuto teased, which earned him a mock-hurt look from his friend.

“We’re a package deal,” was all Kuroo added before moving on, “and this is Kenma. He’s a long-time friend and our band Manager. It’s thanks to him that we’re even playing here tonight.”

Akaashi could hear the tone of Kuroo's voice change from friendly to adoring when he talked of Kenma. He wondered if anyone else noticed it too.

“It’s not that big of a deal, Kuroo, you can stop thanking me every five minutes,” Kenma said, avoiding making eye contact with any of the newcomers. It didn’t take Akaashi’s observation skills to tell he was also socially anxious. 

With that, the only one left to be introduced was a short, orange-haired man who stood awkwardly next to Kenma. Unlike his neighbor, the man's eyes bore deep into Akaashi’s as he openly studied him. 

It was one thing to have Tsukishima study him; that was his character and he wasted no time sharing the wealth by judging everyone in the room. This man, however, seemed to only take interest in Akaashi, and he suspects he’d been his only interest since Akaashi stepped foot in the tent.

But what unsettled Akaashi the most was that he didn’t recognize this man at all. He had no recollection of tracing any connection of the man to Bokuto. So why was he there?

“And this is my old friend from high school, Hinata,” Bokuto said, answering Akaashi’s train of thought, “we played volleyball together before he moved to Japan to play pro. He’s in town for a few weeks so we thought we would catch up.”

At the mention of his name, Hinata tore his stare away from Akaashi and planted a big grin on his face. 

“So, that’s everyone,” Bokuto exclaimed, flourishing his arms out in a gesture to the entire tent. 

“Hey, um, I’m gonna go ask Iwaizumi about his bass I saw earlier,” Daichi said to Suga.

“Yeah, I’ll come too,” Suga replied, giving Akaashi a small nudge before he followed Daichi to the other side of the tent.

Bokuto gestured with his head for Akaashi to follow him, leading him through the tent door to just outside.

“I figured after having so much attention on you, you could use a little break.”

Akaashi wasn’t going to deny it, so instead, he replied, “Thank you. They’re all very welcoming - except maybe Tsukishima - it’s just a lot to process at once. 

“I could tell, which is why we’re out here now.”

Akaashi noticed that for the first time that evening, the butterflies in his stomach had all finally settled. 

“And thank you for coming. I know crowds aren’t really your thing, but it means a lot knowing that you’re here.”

“How did you know I don’t like crowds?” Akaashi questioned. 

“You’re not the only observant one in the room, Akaashi” Bokuto winked and Akaashi thought his face would actually melt. 

In the midst of thinking of some witty comment, Akaashi was interrupted by someone coming out of the tent.

It was Hinata. 

“Hey, Bokuto. Can we talk for a sec?” Hinata asked, nervously glancing at Akaashi.

“Yeah, sure. What’s up?”

“Well, um… I was actually hoping we could talk alone.”

Akaashi took that as his signal to leave. He gave the orange-haired man a questioning look before working his way around Bokuto towards the tent door. 

Before he could quite disappear, Bokuto gently grabbed Akaashi’s arm. 

“I’ll be in in just a minute,” Bokuto reassured. 

“I’ll be waiting.” Akaashi smiled before slipping back into the warm tent. 

His friends were immersed deep in a conversation with Oikawa and Iwaizumi, so Akaashi decided to make his way back over to the green-haired man he had met before.

“Yamaguchi, was it?” Akaashi asked, pretending he was having a hard time keeping everyone’s name straight.

“That’s me,” Yamaguchi said, a smile lighting upon his face at the prospect that Akaashi wanted to talk to him.

“I like your hair,” Akaashi complimented, “I would never be brave enough to dye my hair like that. I respect that kind of thing.” 

Yamaguchi blushed at the comment about his hair and leaned in close to where Akaashi was standing.

“Wanna know a secret?” Yamaguchi whispered. Akaashi nodded his head and he continued, “I dye my hair and dress this way in hopes that people will notice that about me more than they’ll notice how awkward I am,” he said, motioning to his punk rocker clothes and chains.

Akaashi could tell how ashamed Yamaguchi felt admitting that. 

“Well, you look pretty badass either way,” Akaashi reassured, “and we all have bits of ourselves we want to hide from others, don't we?” 

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Yamaguchi admitted.

“I can tell you make him so happy.” Akaashi assumed he was referring to Bokuto. “I have a feeling you’re going to be sticking around for a while, so here, I’ll put my number in your phone. You can feel free to call me if you ever need anything.”

“Thank you,” Akaashi said, “and can I tell you a secret?”

Yamaguchi nodded.

“I was really nervous to come here tonight, but you’ve really helped ease that.”

“Well, I guess that makes two of us then.”

Just then, the door to the tent opened, and in came Bokuto. For the moment before he met eyes with Akaashi, he could sense Bokuto was upset by something. But when he found Akaashi standing next to Yamaguchi by the snack table, the look was replaced with his ever charming smile as he made his way over. 

“Thanks for watching over Akaashi while I was gone. God knows what stories Oikawa would have told him had they been left unsupervised,” Bokuto joked.

“It was really no chore at all,” Yamaguchi replied, “and remember if you ever need anything, call me.”

Akaashi nodded as Bokuto pulled him away once again, glad to have Bokuto to himself again. 

“What was all that about?” Akaashi asked.

“Oh, nothing really,” Bokuto lied. Akaashi could tell, but he didn’t want to push the matter right now. 

“Well, we have to go get ready up on stage now, but I wanted to make sure you were in good hands before I left. Looks like you can handle that on your own though, I’m glad.”

“Yeah, but, one thing, before you go,” Akaashi trailed.

“What’s that?”

Akaashi leaned up ever so slightly and lightly pecked Bokuto on the cheek. 

The flush to Bokuto’s face was instant, just the reaction Akaashi was looking for. 

“That’s for good luck,” Akaashi smirked, and before Bokuto had the chance to reply, Akaashi sauntered off to join his friends who were being led out of the tent and into the crowd by Oikawa.


	3. 2/14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh this chapter was a lot of fun to write! It's a little shorter than the others, but the events that take place right after this will be in another chapter that I hope to publish tomorrow! 
> 
> I've created a Spotify playlist for the songs mentioned in this chapter (***they appear in the text like this***). It isn't mandatory that you listen to them, but they will help your understanding of some of the things I mention. If you choose to listen to any one song from this, I would recommend 2/14 (the title of this chapter) as its meaning will be explained a little further in later chapters!
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!
> 
> -Shay (Pretty Setters)

[Spotify Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/53szbkxOAEoK4XqEokvWrr?si=qrtx9NlsTlaerVc1Grgw3w)

Akaashi jogged a little to catch up to his friends. They were making their way through the tent door and out into the crowded park to find a spot to watch the performance. 

He was a little red-faced from the bold move he had just committed a second ago, but judging by how well-received it was, Akaashi didn’t have much of a reason to be nervous. 

“Here should be good,” Oikawa said after pausing in a small clearing not too far from the stage. They weren’t right up front, but close enough to see the crew members as they set up the stage. 

Akaashi couldn’t help but feel some kind of nervous excitement. It sounded kind of bizarre considering he wasn’t the one performing, but something about finally getting to hear the band in person was nerve-wracking. 

“Do you usually watch the shows by yourself?” Suga asked Oikawa, noticing his only company were the three newcomers.

“Sometimes I’ll force Kenma to watch but he hates crowds and is probably hiding away in the tent with Hinata right now,” Oikawa laughed, “so yeah, I’m basically the solo groupie.”

“It’s admirable that you show your support for them though,” Daichi added, “even if you’re on your own.”

“Everyone needs a little support. Iwa-chan says he doesn’t care whether I watch or not, but Kuroo told me he plays much better when I’m around.”

“They must be starting.” Akaashi interrupted as a hush fell over the crowd and the little light that was being cast behind the stage outlined the band members taking their places. 

The friends all gave each other excited smiles and the people around them began to whisper in excitement. 

_***Talk Too Much - COIN***_

The sound of a few upbeat chords started fading in from Yamaguchi’s keyboard, followed by Tsukishima on the drums. The lights began to return to the stage as Kuroo and Iwaizumi joined in on the guitar and bass. Akaashi couldn’t help but smile widely as he saw Bokuto bopping his head along to the intro, goofy and excited as ever.

Akaashi’s smile only grew wider when Bokuto’s searching gaze found his face in the crowd, giving him a quick wink before launching into the song. 

Akaashi had been listening to the band’s music play on repeat ever since he left the record shop that fateful day, but hearing them in person was a completely different experience. Bokuto’s voice sounded smoother when he sang, which made it hard for Akaashi to put his face to the voice when he was listening on his own. But in front of him now, it was undeniably Bokuto and Akaashi couldn’t get enough.

He recognized the song Bokuto was singing as one of their most popular and happily sang along with his friends. He couldn’t help but laugh at some of the lyrics, as they definitely fit Bokuto’s character very well. 

Throughout the performance, Bokuto kept glancing over in Akaashi’s direction to make sure he was having a good time and was pleased to see him singing along and slightly swaying to the music. 

The song ended and the crowd went crazy as they clapped and cheered. The band shared a collective smile and nod at the positive response they were receiving.

“Hey, New York!” Bokuto yelled into the microphone, causing another uproar from the crowd, “we’re Cityscape and we’re so glad to have you all here tonight!” he continued. “We’re just a group of friends up here doing what we love, so we hope you like what you hear! Who’s ready for another song?!”

The mass of people around Akaashi began yelling again - himself and friends included - and Bokuto smiled and nodded before accepting his guitar from the crewmember who had brought it on stage to him. 

As the crowd hushed once again, Oikawa nudged Akaashi and his friends before whisper-yelling over the crowd, “this next one Iwa wrote about me. He’s a little self-conscious about his lyric writing skills though, so don’t tell him I told you that!” 

The group smiled at Oikawa and then up at Iwa who was doing his best to look all stern and refined on stage. Akaashi couldn't help but laugh at the juxtaposition of the pair, but his curiosity of the thought didn’t linger for too long as the band started their next song. 

_***Daphne Blue - The Band CAMINO***_

The song started with a sick guitar riff from Kuroo, in which he relished the attention the crowd gave him as he played. Slowly the rest of the members joined in, complimenting the riff and creating a catchy sound. 

When Bokuto began to sing so did Oikawa, a huge grin plastered on his face. 

Akaashi recognized the song as the third from their new album, which he had taken the liberty of memorizing. It was one of his personal favourites and put him in an even better mood than the last as he saw how much fun the band was having performing it. 

When the chorus came along, Iwaizumi and Yamaguchi joined in on the backup vocals, Iwaizumi not taking his eyes off of Oikawa the entire time.

As the song came to a close, Iwaizumi strummed his last chord before raising his arm and pointing right to Oikawa with a smile. The already present blush on Okawa’s face only grew as he beamed and blew a kiss back. 

“THAT,” Suga started once Oikawa tore his eyes away from the stage, “was the cutest thing I have ever witnessed!”

Akaashi and Daichi nodded in agreement, both smiling at the thought of how obviously in love the odd pair were. 

Oikawa was in the middle of gushing about Iwaizumi when he noticed a familiar flash of orange hair in the crowd, “Hey, Hinata!’ he called, “we’re over here!”

“Oh, hey guys,” Hinata replied. Akaashi noticed he seemed to be in an even more sour mood towards him than he was before. 

“Kenma ignored you to death already?” Oikawa asked, confused where the small man Hinata had been keeping company was.

“No, he had some manager duties to attend to so I thought I would come out to watch,” he replied, and before he could continue, the band launched into their next song. 

_***Cardiac Arrest - Bad Suns***_

This song was a little more relaxed than the last, and it didn’t take much for Akaashi to deduce Kuroo was probably responsible for the lyrics of this one. It didn’t take a genius to figure out how nerdy Kuroo was from his social media profiles. 

The song closed and there was another round of applause from the crowd. 

Bokuto handed his guitar back to the crewmember who had brought it out to him before. He grabbed his mic from the stand and walked towards the edge of the stage to address everyone. 

“As some of you may know,” he began, “we just recently released a new album. But what you may not know is that we’re always working on something new. This song hasn’t been released yet, but there’s someone here tonight that needs to hear it.” 

Bokuto looked over at Akaashi with a huge smile, which was followed by excited looks from his present company - minus a sour-looking Hinata.

_***2/14 - The Band CAMINO***_

Akaashi’s face was absolutely on fire when Yamaguchi faded in the upbeat chords from his synthesizer, causing the singer to bop and dance along to the music in true Bokuto fashion.

At the sound of Bokuto singing a song for him, Akaashi felt like he might spontaneously combust. 

Suga was enjoying looking back and forth between his friend and Bokuto on stage, overjoyed to see someone finally making Akaashi happy.

Initially, Akaashi was under the impression Bokuto said he needed to hear the song because it reminded him of Akaashi, but as he listened to the lyrics, Akaashi quickly realized the song was actually _about_ him. He couldn’t decide if he was embarrassed or flattered. Maybe a bit of both. 

Some of the lyrics - particularly the chorus - were a bit confusing to him, but he figured he could ask Bokuto about them later and just take the time to enjoy the song. 

The entire time Bokuto was up on stage, he looked like he was having the time of his life. He kept dancing around, looking over at Akaashi often enough to make sure he was getting the message, but not enough to draw anyone else's attention to him. Akaashi appreciated that.

The song ended with a smile from Bokuto as the band carried out the last few bars.

“How come you never write songs about me?” Suga pouted to Daichi, which earned him a laugh from everyone - again, save an even more sour Hinata. 

“Sorry honey, but I don’t think you’d want me to try,” he replied with a chuckle. 

The band cut him off with the beginning of their next song, one of their older and more well-known pieces.

_***3 Nights - Dominic Fike***_

The people surrounding Akaashi were all dancing along and singing the words. It seemed like the whole crowd was having a good time; that is until Akaashi’s eyes landed on Hinata once again, who was standing still as a statue and glaring up at the stage. 

Akaashi couldn't help but think, ‘ _what’s his problem?’_ before averting his eyes and going back to enjoying the concert. 

The song ended and Bokuto took up his mic once again. “Thank you, everyone, thank you! This last song here is an ode to our newest band member, without whom we would never have found our true sound,” he said fondly, sweeping his hand out to gesture in the direction of a shy Yamaguchi. “Take it away my friend!”

With newly determined confidence, Yamaguchi turned his eyes to his synthesizer and then back to the crowd before leading the band into their final song.

_***TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME - The 1975***_

Akaashi recognized the song as the single Bokuto had been referring to when he approached Akaashi in the record shop. The memory made him smile and bop along to the upbeat sound pumping through the park despite the lyrics being rather sad. 

Lost in the music, Akaashi didn’t notice Hinata had left until he glanced over at the vacant spot where the red-head had been standing. The sight relieved him and he no longer felt like all eyes were on him.

The music faded out and the band members all moved from their respective spots to join Bokuto center stage. 

“Once again, thank you! You were a pleasure to play for tonight! Goodnight New York!” Bokuto yelled into the mic. The band waved to the cheering crowd before exiting off the side of the stage.

“Let’s try and head back to the tent before the crowd gets too crazy between sets!” Oikawa yelled to the others over the people chattering around him. 

Akaashi and the others all trailed behind Oikawa as he expertly weaseled his way through the masses of people towards the backside of the stage. 

When they reached the tent, the band was already inside, chatting and smiling about the performance. 

Bokuto was in the middle of telling a very animated story about almost tripping on his mic wire when he saw Akaashi come in through the tent doors. He immediately paused his story without an apology to Kuroo or Yamaguchi before running over and pulling a startled Akaashi into a giant hug.

“Hey- Woah!” Akaashi cried out as he laughed when his feet left the ground slightly.

“What did you think?” Bokuto demanded to know, searching Akaashi’s face for a reaction.

Shocked by the sudden public display of affection, it took Akaashi a moment to regain his composure before answering, “You were all amazing.”

Bokuto beamed back at the man as if he had just given him the highest praise imaginable. 

Akaashi was tempted to ask him about the meaning of the song he wrote, but thought now in front of everyone might not be the best time.

“We were all just talking about it before you came in, but we’re gonna head back to our apartment to celebrate. You guys are more than welcome to tag along,” Bokuto said to Akaashi and his friends. 

Akaashi gave a longing look to Suga and Daichi that resembled one of a child asking their parents for permission to go out. It was quite hilarious to Suga, but he knew Akaashi wouldn’t feel quite comfortable going alone without their company. 

Suga nodded and Akaaski turned back to Bokuto, “we’d love to join,” he said with a smile. 

“It’s settled then,” Kuroo chimed in, “Kenma said the crew will take care of our stuff, so let’s not waste any precious party time!”

Akaashi was slightly scared of what Kuroo meant by a _‘Party’_ , but Bokuto was quick to realize and grabbed him by the hand as the group made their way out of the tent. “Don’t worry,” he assured, “it’ll just be everyone you’ve already met, no one new.”

Akaashi gave Bokuto a warm smile as a vote of thanks. Bokuto could be a lot at times, but he continued to be considerate of Akaashi’s introverted nature time and time again. 

The group of guys made their way along the New York City sidewalks as they headed for Kuroo and Bokuto’s apartment, Bokuto’s hand entwined in Akaashi’s. 

Normally, Akaashi would be too concerned about what everyone else thought of him to even consider holding hands with someone, but with Bokuto, he barely gave it a second thought.

  
  



	4. Touché

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akaashi takes on the band's after party, featuring some relationship lines drawn, Oikawa's insane margarita making skills, and Saltyshima just being himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter made me laugh to myself at my terrible jokes, and I hope you find some of the interactions as funny as I do.

Bokuto and Kuroo’s place was far from modest for a New York apartment. It was evidently clear to him why it was no issue for them to host a group of nine, whereas Akaashi would struggle to find standing room for that many people in his own studio apartment.

It was only a few blocks from the record store, which Akaashi had calculated to be about an 11 minute walk from his apartment to theirs - taking into account his own pace and Google maps of course.

The inside common area included an open kitchen and living room which was surprisingly organized - Akaashi suspected Kurro was mostly responsible for the orderliness. There was a large sectional couch with a massive flat screen TV mounted to the wall. The kitchen occupied the other wall, with an island and bar seating separating the two spaces. Down the middle was a hallway, which Akaashi assumed led to the bedrooms. It wasn’t noticeable until he was a few steps into the room, but stairs to an open loft area overlooking the space were hidden on the same wall as the entry door.

Bokuto offered to take Akaashi’s coat and hung it up in the closet by the door.

Kuroo, who was the first through the door, turned back to his guests and asked, “So what do ya think?”

“I think,” Akaashi laughed a little, “my entire apartment could fit in your living room.”

Everyone laughed at his joke, but only Suga and Daichi knew that he wasn’t exactly kidding.

“It’s an investment for the band, really,” he explained. “This is where we meet and practice. We converted one of the bedrooms into a recording studio and the place is completely soundproof, so it’s pretty sweet.”

Akaashi should have been surprised as to how two grad students could afford such a nice place in the heart of the city, but knowing that Kenma was the band’s main investor, it made sense.

“I’m making drinks!” called Oikawa, who had already made his way over to the kitchen.

“Count me IN!” called Kuroo right behind him.

Bokuto nudged Akaashi in an attempt to loosen him up. “Want something to drink?”

“Oh, uh, no thanks,” he replied hesitantly, “I don’t drink much.”

The last thing Akaashi wanted to seem was boring, but his desire to keep his wits about him around everyone was even greater.

“That’s okay. It’s not for ev-” Bokuto began before Kuroo cut him off.

“Bo! Get over here! The band’s all taking a shot!”

“Yeah, that’s not happening,” Tsukishima interjected, a thorough look of unenjoyment clearly plastered on his face.

“Fine. The cool band members are all taking a shot,” he called back.

Tsukishima didn’t appear even the slightest bit offended by his statement.

“I’ll be right back! I promise!” Bokuto told Akaashi before joining his overexcited friends for a round of shots at the kitchen island.

Bokuto, was in fact, not right back. Akaashi couldn’t blame him. His friends kept roping him into telling jokes and more drinks, and Akaashi was completely okay with just observing him have his fun.

Sometime later while Akaashi was seated on the couch talking to Daichi, Kenma entered through the door followed by Hinata. Kuroo called for Kenma to go join them, but he promptly turned him down and disappeared down the hallway without saying another word.

His companion made his way over to the group by the island. “Sorry I’m late!” Hinata called.

“It’s all good dude,” Kuroo replied, “just means you have to do some catching up to the rest of us.”

“And what better way than a few rounds of Pong?” Bokuto suggested as he grabbed the cups from the cupboard. “Hey Akaashi,” he called from across the room, “come be my partner! I’ll drink for you!”

“Umm-”

“No way dude, there’s no way that’s fair!” Hinata cried.

‘What on Earth is his problem’ Akaashi thought, not for the first time that day.

“Little man’s got a point, bro. He’ll be more sober than the rest of us. No drink, no play,” Kuroo joined in.

Bokuto looked as if he was about to kill Kuroo with just his eyes but was cut off by Hinata insisting, “I’ll be your partner.”

“But-” Bokuto began.

“It’s okay,” Akaashi assured him, “I’m gonna go use the restroom anyway.”

Akaashi excused himself from Daichi’s company as he stood up. Bokuto gave him a longing look as he made his way down the hall where after a few doors, he found the bathroom.

He turned to the mirror and looked at himself. ‘Why am I like this? I must seem like the most boring person to everyone here,’ he thought.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and pulled up Bokuto’s social media profiles. He searched ‘Hinata” into the friends bar and sure enough, there he was. Most of his photos were of him playing volleyball for a men's league in Japan, but nothing else of interest. If Hinata was just some old friend who now lives in Japan then what was his problem with Akaashi?

He couldn’t think of one, so Akaashi retired his phone back into his pocket with a promise to himself on looking further into it when he got home.

When he emerged from the hallway, Bokuto was immersed in a game of Beer Pong with Hinata, Kuroo and Iwaizumi. Daichi had left his solo post on the couch to join Suga, who was chatting with Yamaguchi and Oikawa as they mixed frozen margaritas.

Akaashi noticed Tsukishima sitting alone in a chair up in the loft. He must have escaped there a while ago when Akaashi noticed he was no longer in the crowd of people.

With a sympathetic smile from Bokuto, Akaashi made his way across the room and up the loft stairs.

At the top were two comfortable chairs on either side of a small table that overlooked the rest of the apartment. The iron railing made it easy to see the commotion going on down below. The sound of Kuroo crying out as Bokuto sunk another ball into his cup echoed slightly off of the sloped ceiling.

Tsukishima acknowledged Akaashi with a slight nod before he directed his attention back to scrolling through his phone.

After a moment of silence as Akaashi sat down in the chair next to Tsukishima, he asked, “do you usually hide away up here when they party?”

Instead of answering, Tsukishima asked a question of his own. “Do you usually attend parties without the intent of having fun?”

“Touché,” Akaashi laughed at himself slightly. “No, but I think we’re both here for the sake of someone else rather than ourselves,” he added thoughtfully, causing Tsukishima to follow his gaze down to Bokuto and Yamaguchi.

“You’re observant. That’s useful,” Tsukishima said without looking up from his phone.

As far as his knowledge of the man, Akaashi figured that was a high praise.

“So how long have you been together?” Akaashi asked, trying his best to sound like a normal person making conversation.

“We aren’t. Together, I mean. Just friends.”

‘Of course.’ Akaashi thought to himself, wondering how he could be such a terrible conversationalist, ‘of all things, that’s what I chose.’

“Are you in school?” he tried again.

“I’m at CUNY Graduate Center for Paleontology.”

“That’s really interesting!”

“For some people, maybe.”

If Akaashi didn’t know Tsukishima was this way with everyone, he would have guessed he hated Akaashi more than Hinata did.

“I went to NYU for creative writing,” Akaashi continued on, “I hope to publish one day, but considering I’m twenty-two and still working at a coffee shop, I’d do just about any job a publishing company gave me.”

“I know a few people who might need editors. I can send you their info if you’re interested?”

Akaashi was shocked. In his years of experience, it didn’t surprise him that you had to know a guy who knows a guy to make it in the city. What shocked him was that his guy might somehow end up being Tsukishima.

“Wait really? You hardly know me,” he stated.

“You seem qualified enough,” Tsukishima said looking up from his phone, “and I know you better than these people know all the empty faces submitted on resumes.”

Akaashi could admit he had a point. They exchanged numbers with the promise to send Akaashi the info later. As they were wrapping up, Akaashi jumped at the feeling of someone’s hand meeting his shoulder.

It was only Bokuto.

“Hey kiddos!” he smiled, “I hate to steal Akaashi from you - he is quite the catch - but I wouldn’t want a fine young man like yourself taking him from me!” Bokuto said to Tsukishima.

It was evident from the amount of talking he was doing - which was more than usual - that Bokuto was drunk.

“I was just leaving anyway,” Tsukishima replied. “It appears from here that Yamaguchi has had one too many drinks and spent enough quality time with Oikawa for the night.”

“Don’t count out Suga,” Akaashi added, “he can get a little wild too.”

With a nod, Tsukishima made his way back down the stairs to coax a very drunk Yamaguchi away from his friends so they could go home.

Akaashi turned back to Bokuto, who was perched on the armrest of his chair with one arm resting around Akaashi.

“The son-”

“I’m sor-” Akaashi began at the same time as Bokuto. “Go ahead,” he insisted.

“The song I sang earlier on stage. About you. I don’t mean to scare you with it, quite the opposite actually,” he began.

“You don’t have to explain this to me now while you’re drunk, it can wait until morning,” Akaashi tried, but Bokuto shut him down.

“I’m not drunk,” (He was). “Besides, I need to explain now before you think it means something it doesn't.”

“Okay.” Akaashi’s curiosity got the best of him.

“I like you. Like, I really like you Akaashi. And I don’t wanna mess this up,” he continued. “Everything I do is always so rushed and spontaneous, and like I don’t want us to be like that. I wanna do things with you the right way. And, uh, I know I can be a lot and I know that scares you, so I just wanted to tell you that I’m trying to take things slower. I’m sorry if maybe some of the lyrics scared you, but you seemed to be enjoying the song, so I figured you didn’t just take them at face value like most people would.”

Akaashi waited until Bokuto was done rambling before he spoke. “I like you too, Bokuto.”

They sat for a minute smiling at each other before Akaashi spoke again. “I’m sorry I’ve been so boring today.”

“You haven’t bored me once,” Bokuto replied. “I enjoy your company as is. Thank you for coming to support me today. If anything, I should be the one apologizing for subjecting you to such a crazy day.”

“It has been a lot,” Akaashi admitted, “but I wanted to be here and I’m glad that I am.”

Bokuto was about to say something else before he was cut off by Suga calling up, “Hey lovebirds! Daichi is being a grump and insisting we have to go now before Oikawa has the chance to make me another one of his delicious margaritas!”

“What is it with Oikawa’s margaritas?” Akaashi laughed to Bokuto.

“He tends to have a bit of a heavy hand when it comes to pouring the tequila,” Bokuto responded through his chuckles.

He led Akaashi down the stairs with a steady hand on his back and fetched his coat from the closet.

Suga was giving Daichi a hard time about putting his coat on through fits of laughter as he and Oikawa continued on their conversation.

After a minute or so, a sour looking Suga, tired Daichi, and amused Akaashi thanked the band for their hospitality. Bokuto gave Akaashi a side hug before he made it out the door, which he closed a moment later with a wave.

As Akaashi was walking behind Daichi who was supporting a staggering Suga on the walk home, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.

Pulling it out, he smiled and read the incoming text from Bokuto.

Bokuto: sleep tight ;)

Akaashi: After today, I’ll be sleeping like a rock.

Bokuto: me too. it’s straight to bed after i convince oikawa to stop singing on our island

Akaashi: Damn, I missed that?

Bokuto: trust me, be glad you did

The conversation went on for a few minutes longer through Akaashi parting ways with his friends and making it back to his apartment.

He texted Bokuto goodnight, assuring him he would get a good night's rest. Akaashi set his phone down on his desk and plopped himself into his chair. As much as he wanted to go to sleep, he had some research to do on a particular red-head with a fiery personality.


	5. Some Friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't want to say anything to give away the chapter so please just read and we can feel all of the feelings together

Akaashi could tell that fall was just on the brink of full-swing as he walked down a familiar street. The cool breeze felt nice in conjunction with the sun on his face, and the leaves on the few small trees that littered the streets of the Village were starting to change colour.

It was a few days after the festival and Akaashi had yet to see Bokuto since. Between Akaashi’s busy work schedule and Bokuto’s work and school, their calendars just didn’t line up. They had texted every day and promised to make plans to see each other soon.

Akaashi was supposed to work a double shift at the cafe today, but in a last minute switch with one of his coworkers, he found the evening to himself. Since the moment his schedule had freed, Akaashi began scheming to surprise Bokuto.

Akaashi knew from his call the night before with Suga that he and Daichi were out on a double date with Oikawa and Iwaizumi. He also knew from Tsukishima’s very detailed personal calendar - which Akaashi may have acquired using the info they exchanged the night of the party - that he was working the closing shift at the record store. Yamaguchi made it clear he would be sitting in a tattoo parlor chair for the next four hours on his snapchat story, and Kuroo and Kenma were at some band-related meeting Akaashi had overheard them discussing. Lastly, Hinata was visiting with some of his old friends and would be out of Akaashi’s hair. Finally, Akaashi had Bokuto all to himself.

From his tiny bit of initial research on Bokuto, Akaashi knew his favourite restaurant was a quaint Italian place one district over. Akaashi, much like many New Yorkers, didn’t own a car, but by subway the restaurant in question was only a fifteen minute commute.

After work, he hurried home, showered, got dressed, and headed right back out the door in pursuit of two takeout boxes of delicious pasta and garlic bread. Forty minutes later, Akaashi was on the front step of Bokuto’s apartment.

He knocked lightly and waited for an answer. There was none. He tried again, a little louder this time, before he heard the lock turn and the door swung open.

The first thing that Akaashi noticed about the man standing in front of him was that he was shirtless. He was toned and muscular in a way that Akaashi just quite wasn’t. He felt slightly self-conscious.

The second thing he noticed about the man, and arguably the more important part, was that the man before him was in fact, not Bokuto.

Akaashi felt as if the whole world actually had some sort of personal vendetta against him. Standing before him, half naked in Bokuto’s apartment, was none other than Hinata.

“What?” Hinata asked, clearly just as unimpressed to see Akaashi.

“Um,” Akaashi began, confusion and panic seeping in, “is Bokuto around?”

“He’s in the shower.”

Akaashi could feel his heart beginning to pound in his chest. What the hell was going on here? Bokuto had said Hinata was supposed to be gone today, and there he was, practically undressed in his apartment while Bokuto was in the shower.

Panicking, Akaashi pushed the bag of takeout into Hinata’s arms and turned without another word. ‘ _How naive can I be?_ ’ he thought.

Before Akaashi could reach the bottom of the steps, Hinata called out to him, “wait!”

As much as he wanted to just flee, Akaashi looked back out of curiosity for what the strange man could possibly have to say.

“Stay away from him.” Hinata deadpanned.

Akaashi felt like the wind had been knocked right out of his chest.

“Bokuto needs someone who can make him happy,” Hinata continued, “and that person, isn’t you.”

Without another word, he closed the door and left Akaashi feeling hollow on the doorstep to Bokuto’s apartment.

Akaashi held it together on the walk home, not looking for a cause to have any unwanted attention, but as soon as the door to his apartment closed behind him, the tears began to fall.

He stripped off his jacket and walked over to his bed. He laid down and stared at the white ceiling, contemplating and retracing his steps to find where he went wrong.

‘ _How could I be so naive?_ ’ he thought for the second time. After everything he did, all his observations, all his careful research and well thought out plans, Bokuto was just another person Akaashi knew nothing about.

‘ _I really am a disappointment._ ”

At that moment, Akaashi’s phone began to vibrate on the bed next to him. He didn’t need to look at it to know who was calling.

He let the phone go to voicemail before returning to his self pity.

The phone rang again.

After the fourth call, Akaashi reached over and turned it off completely.

He didn’t need some half-assed apology. He needed to feel like his whole reality wasn’t spiraling out of control.

He slowly made his way up the bed and crawled under the covers of where he had made it this morning.

It was only 7:23PM. Akaashi went to sleep.

…

When he woke up the next morning for his 9AM shift, the only word to describe Akaashi was numb.

His normal never-ending train of thought and constant observation of the world around him was simply shut off. He was running on autopilot.

_What was the point of trying to control his perceptions if they were wrong anyway?_

His shift went by faster than any other, and Akaashi didn’t even realize he had walked all the way home without a single thought until one presented itself to him at his front door.

Bokuto.

Quite literally.

He was sitting on the floor with his back resting on the door to Akaashi’s apartment, his shoulders hunched forward and his head resting on his bent knee.

Akaashi froze where he was a few doors down.

Bokuto lifted his head, then sprang up from his spot when he saw it was Akaashi coming down the hall.

“Akaashi!” he called. He still didn’t move from where he was stopped in his tracks.

“What are you doing here?” was all he asked.

“I badgered Oikawa to give me Suga’s number so he could tell me where you lived,” Bokuto replied, making his way down the hall to close the space between the two. “He even let me into the building with the extra key.”

“I asked why, not how.” Akaashi was doing his best to restore some of the numbness that had taken over him the rest of the day.

“I needed to see you. Hinata told me you came by yesterday and said you seemed pretty upset. You wouldn’t answer any of my calls, so this was all I could think of.” The sincerity in his voice made Akaashi sick to his stomach.

“There’s no need,” he said bitterly, “you’re free to sleep with whoever you please. You don’t owe me anything.”

“What?!” Bokuto cried, a baffled look covering his face.

“It’s fine. I won’t get in the way of what you and Hinata have going on again.”

“What?!” Bokuto repeated. “Why do you think I have something _going on_ with Hinata?”

“Maybe because you lied about where he was yesterday, and then when I show up to your house to surprise you, he answers the door all angry and half-naked while you’re in the shower,” Akaashi spit out in a raised tone, “I’m not Sherlock but it doesn't take much to put two and two together.”

Bokuto laughed and Akaashi couldn’t decide if he wanted to punch him in the face or cry.

Instead, Bokuto chuckled and said, “Hinata and I are _just friends_. I promise you.”

“Some friend,” Akaashi muttered under his breath.

“Hm?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Do you not remember me writing a song about you and telling you how much I like you the other night?” Boktuo asked. “Does any of that ring a bell to you?”

“I thought maybe you changed your mind…” “About you?” Bokuto smiled, reaching his hand out to brush away a tear that had been threatening to fall from the corner of Akaashi’s eye. “I could never. You’re too precious.”

For the first time that day, Akaashi smiled.

They made their way into Akaashi’s small apartment. He apologized for the non existent mess and the two of them sat down side by side on the couch.

“I’m sorry I was childish,” Akaashi apologized, giving Bokuto a sheepish smile as the man put his warm arm around Akaashi’s shoulders and gave him a squeeze.

“I’m sorry that I upset you so much,” Bokuto returned. “If it puts your heart at ease any more, Hinata has a boyfriend back in Japan. They play volleyball together.”

“Oh,” was all Akaashi could muster. ‘ _So maybe all the volleyball posts were important._ ’

“Hey! That doesn’t matter now,” Bokuto continued. “Also I’m sorry that I ruined your surprise dinner. I know we both don’t really have much free time so the thought meant a lot to me, even if it didn’t go to plan.”

“Wait, speaking of schedules, aren’t you supposed to be at the record shop right now?” Akaashi asked. From what he remembered of Bokuto’s schedule - which was all of it - he should be at work right now.

“I had to bribe Tsukishima to switch with me,“ Bokuto admitted. He looked a little scared at the thought of what he sacrificed to be there.

“Do I wanna know?” Akaashi laughed.

“Probably not.”

“Fair enough,” Akaashi admitted. “If you don’t mind me asking… What was Hinata doing at your place today?” Akaashi was a little apprehensive to ask, but the thought had been eating away at him since he’d realized he had misunderstood the situation.

“His plans with his friends got cancelled, so we got together to play some pick-up volleyball together for old-times sake,” he replied effortlessly. Akaashi could tell he was being honest. “We were gonna grab some food after so I offered him the guest shower to clean up a bit before we left. I was going to text you but I figured you were working so I was gonna wait until later.”

“Okay,” Akaashi replied, satisfied with Bokuto’s answer. “I’m sorry, again for not trusting you.”

“Hey, it’s okay. I get it.”

At that moment, Akaashi’s stomach made an obnoxiously loud grumble. It had just occurred to him that he had been too sad to eat anything since lunch the day before.

Bokuto gave him a quizzical look before asking, “A little hungry?”

Akaashi blushed and replied, “Yeah, a little.”

“Well then it’s your lucky day!” Bokuto cried, hopping up from the couch and pulling Akaashi with him. “Go get dressed,” he said, nudging Akaashi towards his closet.

Akaashi just gave him a funny look.

“I’m going to give you the proper first date we never got,” Boktuo said with a charming smile, “now hurry up and go get dressed, we’re not getting any younger and your stomach isn’t getting any quieter!”

As if on cue, Akaashi’s stomach made another loud gurgle.

“See?”

Akaashi just laughed and shook his head before turning to his closet to get changed out of his work clothes and into… well… whatever people wear on first dates.


	6. And Then There's Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh first date fluff (like it's literally all just tooth-rotting fluff so pls enjoy)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, It's been a hot minute, but things have been kinda crazy in my life these past few weeks with my etsy shop, and what's even worse is that I've had the majority of this chapter written for a while now. This one is a bit longer than the others so hopefully that makes up for the time it took to update. The next chapter is also looking like a long one, but I hope to have it done before the end of the week!
> 
> I loved writing this , these two always make me smile, so hopefully they make you smile as well - and maybe you learn a bit more about all of the other characters too!

“Bokuto, where are we going?” Akaashi inquired as the eager musician led him by the arm down the stairs into the depths of the subway.

“And where’s the fun if I tell you?” Bokuto teased, pulling Akaashi to stand beside him on the platform.

Akaashi looked down at himself. In his flustered attempt at choosing an outfit to wear, he may have been a tad bit overdressed. He was never one to wear casual clothes outside of the house, but ‘ _what the hell is one supposed to wear on a date?_ ’ He decided on a pair of black oversized trousers, a white long sleeve t-shirt and his trenchcoat.

Looking over at Bokuto, Akaashi was jealous of how effortlessly handsome he looked in his black jeans and blue t-shirt (which he noted, fit him in _all_ the right places). Bokuto looked over and smirked when he made eye contact with Akaashi, who turned away, embarrassed to have been caught ogling.

A moment later, the subway cars rolled into the station, creating a gust of wind that only helped to dishevel Akaashi’s already untameable hair.

The pair pushed their way onto the subway along with the rest of the rush-hour traffic in a hurry to get home after a long day at work. Normally, the sheer number of people packed into the subway car with him would send Akaashi spiraling, but the feeling of Bokuto’s hand wrapped around his arm provided him with a slight comfort that he wasn’t used to.

Bokuto pulled his hand away for a minute to grab something from his pocket, leaving Akaashi to feel overwhelmed by the crowd once more. He scanned the train and was met with unfamiliar faces. He tried closing his eyes, imagining he was at home, alone and at peace.

A tap on his shoulder startled Akaashi out of his attempted escape only to see Bokuto extend a wireless earbud out to him. Akaashi accepted it with a smile, sliding the headphone into place.

Bokuto’s taste in music was a nice change of pace for Akaashi, and provided him with an alternative to his anxiety for his mind to think about. He could feel the nerves in his stomach settling, whether they were from the overwhelming number of people around him or his date with Bokuto, Akaashi didn’t know.

When the car jolted to a stop at one of the stations, Bokuto took hold of Akaashi’s arm once again and led the way onto a familiar platform. Akaashi had been there just the day before, but kept the thought to himself as Bokuto guided him through the masses and up into the busy street above.

They walked silently, Bokuto on Akaashi’s arm as his music played through their shared earbuds. Akaashi couldn't help but laugh to himself at how much this felt like the feeling when you’re listening to music in the car and dramatically staring out the window.

After a few blocks, Bokuto led them around a corner and abruptly stopped in front of a red brick restaurant front. There was a patio area that extended from the front around to the side of the building they had just come from, white tablecloths and umbrellas adorned at each table. The folded street special sign written in elegant chalk lettering had changed since the day before, but other than that, the restaurant hadn’t.

Akaashi offered Bokuto his earbud back, who obliged, saying, “I know I had food from here yesterday, but it is my favourite after all.” he grabbed Akaashi’s hand from his side, adding, “And I want to properly experience it with you like I was supposed to last night.” Akaashi internally cringed at his reaction last night, replaying himself shoving the bag of takeout at Hinata before attempting to scramble down the front steps. Not his finest moment.

The restaurant hostess greeted them kindly, and Bokuto gave them his name for the reservation. Akaashi smirked, ‘ _that sly bastard made a reservation before he even told me we were going out._ ’ “Is the patio okay?” Bokuto inquired, “I like being outside.”

“Sounds perfect,” Akaashi agreed. The restaurant was particularly small, even for New York, so being outside probably wouldn’t feel so cramped.

The hostess sat them at a table on the outskirts of the patio. Akaashi took in all of the other couples enjoying their food around them and was suddenly brought back to the reality of the situation he was in right now.

“So uh-” Akaashi began awkwardly before he was cut off by Bokuto.

“How did you know to come here last night?” Bokuto asked. The question would have put Akaashi on edge had Bokuto not been so transparent in his joking tone.

“I have my ways,” Akaashi responded mysteriously. It was the response he had rehearsed had the same question come up under different circumstances the night before.

Their waiter briefly interrupted to take their orders before scurrying off to attend to some other table. The conversations taking place around them all muffled together, leaving the air of the atmosphere to be quite intimate despite their surroundings.

“So, how did you find yourself in Manhattan?” Akaashi asked.

“Actually, I was born here. Grew up, went to school here - although you already knew that because of Hinata,” Bokuto answered. Akaashi did in fact know he grew up in Manhattan, but not because of his high school friendship with Hinata. Akaashi let him continue. “My parents moved out of state once I moved out for college. I still see them for holidays, but Manhattan always has and always will be my home. Everything I ever dreamed of was right here. I had no reason to leave.” “Such as?” Akaashi inquired further. One thing the internet couldn’t always tell you were a person's deepest aspirations.

“This might sound a little crazy, but I wanted to work for the United Nations. I mean, I still do. That’s why I’m getting my masters in International Relations at NYU, but life kind of just took me in a different direction with this music thing.” Akaashi could tell this was a vulnerable subject for Bokuto. It wasn’t often that he spoke in such a serious tone, even in serious situations. “Don’t get me wrong, I love the band, and I’m so glad things are looking up for us, it’s just never what I envisioned myself doing. It’s hard, because I don’t want to give up on my dreams, but I also don’t want to let everyone down and pass up an amazing opportunity.” Bokuto looked up from where he had been nervously fiddling with his napkin. Suddenly realizing he had just poured all of his pent up emotions out on the table reddened his cheeks. He apologized for ruining the mood.

“Really, it’s okay,” Akaashi assured him, “I like getting to know you like this.”

“Okay,” Bokuto said with a smile, “So what about you?”

“Well, it’s pretty cliché if you ask me, but my story is pretty simple. I grew up in a small town upstate. I wanted something to escape to, so I came here for college. I went to NYU for creative writing in hopes that maybe I would be published one day. The only job I could land was as a barista at the cafe, so now I just exist in the city like every other person who comes here with a dream they might never achieve.” Akaashi realizes how depressing that sounded, and added almost as an afterthought, “But hey, my life’s been pretty interesting these past few weeks, so I’m glad I’m here.” At that, Bokuto’s worry lines fade, replaced with a smile as he reaches across the table to take Akaashi’s hand in his. “I’m glad you’re here too.”

Akaashi was enjoying looking down at Bokuto’s thumb twirling circles on the side of his hand when their waiter ever so inconveniently returned with their food, causing Bokuto and his strong, calloused hands to return to his side of the table. Akaashi’s devastation was short-lived as the space between them was now filled with two plates of delicious looking pasta and garlic bread.

“I’m not gonna lie, I’ve been silently craving this ever since last night,” Akaashi admitted with a laugh.

“I’m convinced this is the best pasta in all of Manhattan,” Bokuto chimed in before picking up his first bite.

The pair ate in silence for the first few minutes, both of them too hungry to do anything but enjoy the food. Bokuto was right, it was possibly the best in Manhattan.

“So? What do you think?” Bokuto asked when Akaashi’s ravenous state had calmed down a little and he was eating at a normal pace.

“I think,” Akaashi teased, “I’m jealous that you got to eat this for dinner last night too.”

“Heyyyy,” Bokuto whined. “How many times do I have to apologize?”

“I’m only joking, Bokuto, I’m not upset.”

…

The men finished their meal, making pleasant conversation between bites. After neither of them could possibly eat any more, they abandoned their plates and continued chatting until the waiter brought the cheque. Bokuto insisted on paying for Akaashi’s food considering the events of the night before, to which Akaashi begrudgingly obliged.

As they exited the restaurant, Akaashi realized they hadn’t exactly decided what their plan for the rest of the night was. Bokuto had asked out Akaashi with the promise of dinner, but from the look of determination on his face as they set out into the street once again, Akaashi figured the outgoing man had something else up his sleeve.

His suspicions held true when they boarded yet another subway car that would take them nowhere near going home. As much as he wanted to ask, he figured Bokuto wouldn’t budge on revealing the surprise location. As much as he hated anticipation, Akaashi had faith in Bokuto.

Correction. Akaashi _had_ faith in Bokuto until he found himself standing in front of a bar packed with people.

“Uhh, I don’t know about this Bokuto. I don’t really drin-'' he began before Bokuto cut him off.

“I know. Just trust me on this one, okay?” Bokuto extended a hand out to Akaashi, who cautiously took his offering and followed him into the bar.

The music was extremely loud and there were people dancing and chatting everywhere. But what caught Akaashi’s attention most were the rows upon rows of ping pong tables that occupied a large portion of the bar. With a growing smile, Akaashi reminded himself to give Bokuto more credit.

Bokuto led them over to a desk, giving the man his name for the reservation in return for two paddles and a ping pong ball.

On their trip over to the table, Bokuto leaned over to speak into Akaashi’s ear, which he hated to admit made his spine shiver. “Suga may have also mentioned you like ping pong.” “I played a bit in high school, yeah,” Akaashi admitted humbly, “my school required every student to participate in a club. Ping pong was nice because there weren’t many people and I didn’t have to commit much time.” Realizing what he just said, Akaashi added, “Wow that sounds so lame!” “Well I,” Bokuto declared, pointing his paddle at Akaashi, “think it sounds like fun. And a challenge.” He held out the other paddle to Akaashi, but before he could grab it, he pulled the paddle away and said, “That is, if you’re game.” With a laugh, Akaashi extends his arm further to pluck the paddle from Bokuto's hands while teasing, “Try and keep up.”

“Loser buys dessert?” Bokuto suggests from across the table, tossing the ball to Akaashi’s side. “Ladies first.”

“I hope you like ice cream,” was all Akaashi replied before serving the ball onto Bokuto’s side of the table and scoring the first point.

“Oh,” Akaashi added, “do try to keep up.” He smirked at the surprised look on Bokuto’s face, who just laughed and shook his head, throwing the ball back to the other side of the table.

So maybe Akaashi was a little better at ping pong than he led Bokuto to believe. And maybe he was also the captain of the ping pong team, as lame as that sounded, but he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to show up the crazy man just once.

…

At the end of their allotted hour of play time, Bokuto was out of breath and could feel a bead of sweat forming between his brows. On the opposite side of the table from him, Akaashi was gracefully twirling the ping pong paddle between his fingers, not looking even the slightest bit tired.

Of the countless games they had played, Bokuto had only managed to win one - and even still, he had a sneaking suspicion that at that point Akaashi had decided to go easy on him.

Akaashi chuckled to himself at the defeated man as they made their way back over to the desk to return the equipment.

“You won - quite unquestionably I might add - so I guess ice cream it is,” Bokuto sighed. “Although I feel like we were a little unevenly matched.”

“You might be right on that one,” Akaashi laughed, “but you were the one to propose the challenge, and I’m not known to shy away from one.”

“While you may be right, that doesn’t do much to nurse my wounded ego.”

“I’m sure your ego will be just fine after we eat some ice cream,” Akaashi teased.

The two men made their way back out into the street in pursuit of a small diner that google maps said served ice cream sundaes.

A bell rang as Bokuto held open the door for Akaashi to enter. The inside was exactly how you would imagine it to look in the ‘50’s. The mixture of red and pastel blue was harsh on the eyes at first, but after they adjusted, created a fun and inviting atmosphere. There was a jukebox in the back corner that was probably just as old as the diner, some upbeat song Akaashi vaguely recognized quietly playing in the background.

Akaashi and Bokuto slid into a booth at the front of the store. Akaashi could see people out and about, even late at night, strolling about the illuminated streets that were never empty. Bokuto passed him one of the laminated menus that stuck out of the condiment caddy, and Akaashi settled quickly for a simple vanilla sundae.

When a very tired looking waitress came over to take their order, Bokuto looked personally offended by Akaashi’s choice of ice cream.

“Vanilla is the most _boring_ flavour of ice cream you could possibly get! I don’t know if this is gonna work out,” Bokuto teased after the waitress had retreated to the back kitchen.

“What?” Akaashi defended. “Vanilla is a _classic_ , there’s nothing wrong with it.”

“Right, just like there’s nothing wrong with Charles Dickens, but you don’t see me jumping to read any of his stuff anytime soon,” Bokuto stated.

“And what if I told you that I actually enjoy Charles Dickens?” Akaashi posed.

“Then, you’d be lying to yourself,” Bokuto replied with a snort.

“You might be right on that one,” Akaashi admitted with a laugh back, “but not all of the classics are boring.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” Bokuto winked and then turned to direct his attention to the waitress who was setting down their ice cream.

Akaashi wasn’t surprised to see that Bokuto’s sundae was a mess of two different flavoured ice creams, syrup, sprinkles, and a cherry on top. Akaashi chuckled under his breath as the expression ‘ _you are what you eat_ ’ crossed his mind.

“So you’re a writer,” Bokuto stated, pointing his freshly licked spoon in Akaashi’s direction. “What do you write?”

“Well…” Akaashi began, unclear where he should really start. “I don’t really know. I’ve tried different things, poetry, historical non-fiction, anything really, but nothing’s stuck with me just yet. That’s part of the reason I’m stuck working at the cafe. It’s kind of hard to get a publishing job when you have nothing to publish.” “That’s understandable,” Bokuto agreed. “The band has had our fair share of ups and downs when it came to our writing, but eventually we found our thing and look where it got us.” “How does that work by the way?” Akaashi asked, “The songwriting process I mean.”

“It’s mostly a collaborative effort. I may sing most of the songs, but we all usually write them together. Sometimes we’ll spend hours in the apartment just trying to get one thing right, only to scrap it in the end.” “That sounds really frustrating,” Akaashi reflected.

“I mean, it can be. But that’s life for you. We work so hard only for things to eventually get thrown away.” Akaashi was staring at Bokuto who was extremely interested in the rainbow sprinkles on his sundae. It amazed him how thoughtful and philosophical Boktuo could be at times considering his go-with-the-flow attitude.

“No wonder you guys are all so close then. You must spend a lot of time together.”

Bokuto chuckled at Akaashi’s statement. “Yeah. Some more than others.”.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Well, Oikawa and Iwaizumi have been dating on and off since the end of high school. They’re definitely a very polarizing pair, but they seem to have settled down in the last year or so and are taking things a lot more seriously. As long as I’ve known Iwaizumi, he’s not exactly one to share his feelings, whereas Oikawa is quite clearly the opposite. I’m glad that they’ve finally been able to work that out,” Bokuto explained. It was clear to Akaashi there was definitely some tension between the couple, but he was happy to hear that it was only surface deep.

“Kuroo and Kenma,” Bokuto continued, “I don’t even know what to call them. Kenma’s very closed off and distant. Kuroo’s my best friend, but I have to say he doesn’t do a very good job of hiding his feelings. Kenma’s smart, I can tell he knows how Kuroo feels about him. If those feelings made him uncomfortable, he would have pushed Kuroo away a long time ago. They trust each other, and I think for now, Kuroo’s happy with that.” “You seem to have given this a lot of thought,” Akaashi remarked. He didn’t think analyzing the feelings of others would really interest Bokuto in the slightest.

“Meh,” Bokuto shrugged, “I’ve just known them for a long time.”

Akaashi figured that maybe Bokuto didn’t realize how much thought he must have put into all of this.

“And then there’s Tsukki and Yamaguchi,” Bokuto charged on.

“Wait,” Akaashi interrupted, “Tsukishima said to me the other night that there was nothing going on in between them?”

“Tsukki can deny his feelings all he wants, but I’m just waiting for the day when Yamaguchi comes to band practice with a ring on his finger and tells me they’re getting married,” Bokuto confessed with a little laugh.

The thought made Akaashi smile, knowing that even the coldest of people could still find love.

“And then there’s you,” Akaashi said, looking up from his half finished ice cream to meet Bokuto’s eyes across the table.

“And then there’s _us_ ,” Bokuto corrected.

Akaashi was the first to break their eye contact, afraid his face might give away the number of butterflies that began to flutter about his stomach at those words.

The two men quietly finished their ice cream, Bokuto paying the bill for having challenged the wrong person in a ping pong battle.

As they stepped back out into the street, Bokuto yawned while pulling out his phone to check the time.

“I should probably get you home,” Bokuto remarked, sliding his cell phone into his back pocket and grabbing Akaashi’s hand. He was warm compared to the cool breeze that swept through the late night city streets.

“I think you’re the one who needs to head to bed,” Akaashi replied with a poke to Bokuto’s unsuspecting forehead mid-yawn.

“Hey!” Bokuto cried, “I can’t help it. I’m not a night owl like you.”

“I know, I know,” Akaashi pleaded, “I was just poking fun.”

They descended hand in hand back down into the subway and hopped on the car that would take them back home just before it pulled away. There were significantly fewer passengers than earlier that evening, so the men were able to sit down and rest their legs on the ride back.

Bokuto took out his headphones once again, not to calm Akaashi’s anxiety, but to just genuinely enjoy the songs together. Akaashi stiffened when he felt Bokuto lean his head to rest on Akaashi’s shoulder. He tried his best to relax, figuring a stiff shoulder probably wasn’t the most comfortable pillow.

After a few minutes, Akaashi reciprocated by letting his head fall to the side to rest atop Bokuto’s. He wasn’t tired, not even in the slightest. His heart still felt like it was going to beat out of his chest, but the position felt comfortable and natural.

When the subway car pulled into their station, Bokuto appeared to be alive as ever, shaking off his sleepiness and insisting on accompanying Akaashi on the walk home.

“It’s really okay Bokuto, I know you're tired, and I know my way home,” Akaashi tried.

“I know you _know_ how to get home, but I’d be a fool if I passed up the opportunity to spend every last minute of tonight with you,” Bokuto insisted.

Rather than try again, Akaashi just blushed and let Bokuto fall in step with him on the walk home.

Unfortunately, the walk from the station was not a long one - curse Manhattan for having such an extensive subway system.

When he reached his front door, Akaashi took a moment to find his keys and unlock the handle before turning back to look at a very anxious Bokuto. He was standing there, making intense eye contact with the carpet on the floor, unsure of what to do with himself.

“Hey Bokuto,” Akaashi said, ripping the man away from his staring contest, “thank you for tonight.”

Bokuto just smiled and took a step closer, “I should be the one to thank you for giving me a second chance.”

“I’d be a fool not to,” Akaashi admitted.

They both awkwardly stood there in silence before Akaashi said, “well, I guess this is goodnight.”

“Uh, yeah,” Bokuto stuttered before taking a step back from the doorway. “Goodnight, Akaashi.”

He turned and waved over his shoulder before slowly making his way down the hallway to the elevator.

Akaashi slipped through the door and was about to pull it closed when he heard a cry from outside.

“Akaashi! Wait!” Bokuto called as he rushed back down the hallway before the door could latch.

Confused, Akaashi swung it back open to meet Bokuto with a questioning stare, his company slightly out of breath from his short sprint.

Instead of providing an explanation for his outburst, Bokuto stepped forward, reaching out with both of his hands to hold Akaashi’s face while he planted a soft kiss on his forehead.

He pulled away after a second, flashed one of his brilliant smiles and then disappeared back down the hallway without another word.

Finally alone in his apartment, Akaashi made the realization that he might never fully understand the crazy man he was slowly falling for, but for once in his life, Akaashi didn’t feel like he needed answers.


End file.
